LSU football team having fun, looks like team headed far

BATON ROUGE - There have been LSU football teams that have been 6-0, LSU teams that have averaged close to 40 points midway through the season, LSU teams that completed long passes, and broken up long ones, LSU teams that have faked kicks and blocked kicks. Coach Les Miles' top-ranked Tigers did not exactly do all of those things in whipping the Florida Gators 41-11 Saturday, but they did enough of them in another of those "let's have fun" victories to warm the hearts of the faithful at Tiger Stadium.

Wing had an option. If the Gators rushed, he'd punt. If they peeled back in unison, as they had done in certain situations, Wing would tuck the ball and head for the end zone.

Which he did, all the way.

Except, said the back judge, he made a "taunting" gesture near the 8-yard line.

LSU punter Brad Wing talks about his nullified touchdownLSU punter Brad Wing explains what was going through his mind as he raced downfield for what would have been a touchdown on a fake punt in the first quarter against Florida on Saturday. He was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, which nullified the score.

"I apologized to Coach and to the players," Wing said. "I just got caught up in all the emotion and did a stupid thing.''

"It was a wonderful call by our offensive coordinator (Greg Studrawa)," said Miles. "It has been done with a fullback with a dump pass. In the Spread (offense), you move out, and it is done with the quarterback carry. Greg has done it before. I really enjoyed it.''

So did Joseph.

He was watching on television in 2006 when Tim Tebow threw his first touchdown pass as a Gator against the Tigers in Gainesville, a breakout game for the All-American.

"I loved it,'' Joseph said, "because I looked at it as a bit of payback.''

What ever-present Tyrann Mathieu did Saturday was simply add another moment to his "Honey Badger'' lore.

He's sitting on the sideline in the second half, and he tells Jordy Hultberg, a member of the Tigers' broadcast team: "The only way they can try to get back in this game is to throw long and throw it to number 4 (Andre Dubose),'' said Mathieu . "If they do, I'll be waiting.''

Sure enough, he was.

They go up as a pair in the end zone, and No. 7 comes down with the football.

"That's what happens when he plays the game like he does,'' said defensive coordinator John Chavis. "He's relentless, always looking for the next opportunity.''

Chavis keeps repeating, "This is the best defensive team I've ever been around.''

"But it can get better,'' he said. "As well as we played against West Virginia, we dropped real good chances at five picks. Yeah, we are playing some good football, but, believe me, we can get a whole lot better. We have to if we want to get where we want to get.''